Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas took trips paid for by a GOP megadonor, but did not list them on his financial disclosure forms.
That’s according to documents released by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, per NBC News.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, released records regarding gifts by Harlan Crow, a billionaire friend of Thomas’.
These gifts were private jet travel in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
“As a result of our investigation and subpoena authorization, we are providing the American public greater clarity on the extent of ethical lapses by Supreme Court justices and the need for ethics reform,” Durbin said.
Crow’s office said in a statement he reached an agreement with the Judiciary Committee to provide information for the past seven years.
“Despite his serious and continued concerns about the legality and necessity of the inquiry, Mr. Crow engaged in good faith with the Committee,” his office released. “As a condition of this agreement, the Committee agreed to end its probe with respect to Mr. Crow.”
A spokesperson for Durbin said in a statement the committee “reached an agreement with Mr. Crow for information and materials that was sufficient for compliance with the Committee’s request and subpoena authorization.”
Thomas’s attorney defended what he disclosed and didn’t disclose.
“The information that Harlan Crow provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee fell under the ‘personal hospitality exemption’ and was not required to be disclosed by Justice Thomas,” attorney Elliot S. Berke said in a statement.
He added the Judicial Conference — the administrative office of the U.S. courts — “changed this provision last year, and Justice Thomas has fully complied with the new disclosure requirement.”
Berke said a couple of trips Thomas made were “personal hospitality from close personal friends” and not business.
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee referred to a statute regarding financial disclosure requirements for federal personnel.
The statute said “food, lodging, or entertainment received as personal hospitality of an individual need not be reported.”
However, they contend the law requires travel given as gifts be disclosed.
They plan to release a report on their investigation regarding Supreme Court ethics in thr summer.
